Page 1 of Secret Wolf Baby

Prologue - Audrey

Moonlight streaked across the street as I walked down the sidewalk. My heart pounded, growing louder with every step as I got closer to my destination. My entire body felt electrified with anticipation, even as my stomach twisted with uncertainty. This could either be the best decision of my life or the worst. But I had never been one to back down from a challenge. And there was something thrilling about taking the risk, especially when the reward was worth it.

And the reward, if this gamble paid off the way I thought it might, would be more than worth it.

The wind brushed against my face, bringing enticing scents from the forest toward me. On any other night, that smell alone would have been enough to draw me to the edge of the woods, where I would shift and let my wolf run and hunt for the evening. Tonight, however, my wolf and I had no desire to hunt. She was as set on our path as I was. I could feel her tail swish in eager anticipation inside me as we neared our destination.

I came to a stop in front of the house I had been in dozens of times over the last couple of years. Mira’s home. And her brother Jackson’s. I stared up at it for a long moment. Light streamed out from behind a curtain on the second floor, and that was it. Only one person in the house, just as I had hoped.

I took a deep breath. It was now or never. I strolled forward, shoulders back and head high as I moved up the path. I paused, a hint of nervousness swirling in my stomach for the first time as I stared at the door in front of me. This was it. One last time to back out. But if I backed out, I would regret it for the rest of my life. At this point, it was now or never.

I knocked and waited.

A light flicked on in the house. Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and a familiar, comforting scent grew nearer as I saw a large form in the frosted glass beyond. I waited, heart racing with excitement and more fear than I would have cared to admit. My wolf paced inside me with pent-up energy as the short wait for the door to open stretched on like an eternity.

Eventually, however, the door opened.

A tall man with light brown hair stood in the doorway. He towered over me, and I realized with a new jolt that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Each of his perfectly defined muscles rippled with each tiny movement, and my heart began thundering as my body began to heat all over.

Jackson blinked as he stared down at me. His head tilted in polite confusion as his brow furrowed.

“Audrey?” He glanced around. “Mira’s not here.”

“I know.” I knew that perfectly well. I had planned out this entire thing with that in mind. “I wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?”

The creases in his forehead deepened as he studied me. I waited, matching his gaze. Just being this near him sent my wolf into a frenzy. She had always been a bit on the wild side.

I stayed where I was, excitement and nervousness coursing through me, electrifying my entire body. The thought of him saying no or closing the door in my face terrified me more than I could say. I stayed where I was, though, unwilling to back down. I was going to see this through, regardless of the outcome.

After a moment, he nodded, taking a step back. “All right,” he said.

“Thanks.” I brushed past him. Another whiff of his scent, oak and vanilla, hit me as I strolled into the room, enough tosend my wolf pacing inside me, her tail swishing in anticipation. She had waited for so long to do this that every minute it stretched on seemed only to annoy her further.

“Happy birthday, by the way,” he said after he closed the door. He raised his eyebrows. “Eighteen. Pretty big one.”

“Yeah,” I said, turning to face him. “It’s weird to think about.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t spending time with friends ton—”

His words cut off as he stared at me, his jaw-dropping as his eyes raked me up and down as he finally registered what I was wearing. He blinked in surprise as he studied me, lingering on my breasts, not bothering to conceal his interest. I wore a short skirt, a lacy top with a plunging neckline, and no bra. The heels on my feet accentuated my legs, and my auburn hair was curled and fell around my shoulders. His eyes flashed with an undisguised hunger and lust that made my stomach lurch with delight and my toes curl.

“There were other ways I wanted to celebrate my birthday than spend time with friends,” I admitted.

“Is that so?” he asked.

“Mhm.”

He dragged his attention away from my body to focus on my face. “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?” he asked. I didn’t miss the raw edge to his voice, as if he was trying to hold back some primal urge.

I took in a deep breath. For the first time since I had made up my mind to do this, a flutter of nerves churned in my stomach. It wasn’t like me to get nervous or self-conscious, but it wasn’t like this was an ordinary situation.

“I’ve been debating whether to talk to you about this for a while,” I admitted. I took a step closer to him, his oak and vanilla scent growing stronger, sending a lurch of desire through me. “I almost didn’t.” I gave a playful, flirtatious smile. “But since it’s my birthday and I figured I deserved something nice, I decided I would just bite the bullet.”

He raised his eyebrows, folding his arms as he leaned against the wall, his head tilting in question. The pause lingered. God, I had thought this might be difficult or uncomfortable. I just hadn’t realized it would be this nerve-wracking. I didn’t get nervous. And yet, here I was, standing in front of Jackson, feeling like a blushing, babbling kid. I could feel my cheeks flush as he watched me with that alluring intensity that always seemed to heat up my insides.

This was my last chance to back out. The last time I could brush past him and walk away, maybe go out and find Mira and have a drink to celebrate instead of doing what I really wanted. For a wild moment, I almost considered doing just that. Except I was here instead. I’d made my decision, and I was going to stick with it.

The edge of Jackson’s lip quirked upward in a smirk. “This doesn’t really feel like biting the bullet,” he teased.

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